Agenda item

Cabinet:

a)    Notedthe detailedbudgets presentedat AppendixB, and summarisedat AppendixA, withan estimatedGeneral FundGross OperatingExpenditure for 2023/2024of £84.597 million, estimated Gross OperatingIncome of£52.285 millionand estimatedGeneral FundNet OperatingExpenditure of £32.312million.

b)    Acknowledgedthe keyfactors whichhave ledto theproposed 2023/2024 GeneralFund RevenueBudget, withservice pressuressummarised at Appendix C and offsetting efficiencysavings/policy options summarised at Appendix D.

c)    Acknowledgedthat the2023/2024 GeneralFund RevenueBudget gross expenditureis coveredby forecastincome sources(assuming nochange in Governmentgrant) and,therefore, anyaddition(s) toexpenditure that are made by the Cabinetor Council will need to be met from the General Fund Balance.

d)    Approved the Council Tax Requirement for 2023/2024 at £11,130,440.

e)    Approvedan increasein theDistrict element ofthe CouncilTax of£5 per annum,giving anaverage BandD CouncilTax of£165.31, plusthe relevant amountsrequired bythe preceptsof theParish Councils, CambridgeshireCounty Council,Cambridgeshire Police& CrimeCommissioner, and theCambridgeshire Fire Authority.

f)     Approvedthe estimatesof theamounts requiredto bemade underthe Non-domesticRating (RatesRetention) Regulations2013 asset outin paragraphs 44 and 45.

g)    Approved theuse ofthe additionalincome fromthe BusinessRate Pool, estimatedat £1,100,000in 2023/2024,for transferto theestablished Renewables Reserve for priorityprojects.

h)    Recommended to Council:

a.    The 2023/2024General FundRevenue Budgetbased onknown commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resultingin a Budget Requirement of £25.720 million.

b.    The DistrictCouncil Precepton theCollection Fund(Council Tax Requirement)of £11.130million in2023/2024 (basedon the Provisional Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £165.31.

Recommendation h is a recommendation to Council, and not subject to call-in.

Cabinet received the General Fund Budget for 2023/2024. Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, introduced the report and the commented on the supplement published ahead of the meeting with the updated figures for the next financial year and the continued progress with the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Councillor Bridget Smith, Leader of the Council, invited Councillor Richard Stobart to introduce the comments from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee on Thursday, 19 January, and thanked Officers for their work, but commented on the Section 106 funding for arts and culture. Councillor John Williams responded that funding for was through the Community Chest.

After a short discussion, Councillor Bridget Smith closed the discussion, and Cabinet:

a)    Notedthe detailedbudgets presentedat AppendixB, and summarisedat AppendixA, withan estimatedGeneral FundGross OperatingExpenditure for 2023/2024of £84.597 million, estimated Gross OperatingIncome of£52.285 millionand estimatedGeneral FundNet OperatingExpenditure of £32.312million.

b)    Acknowledgedthe keyfactors whichhave ledto theproposed 2023/2024 GeneralFund RevenueBudget, withservice pressuressummarised at Appendix C and offsetting efficiencysavings/policy options summarised at Appendix D.

c)    Acknowledgedthat the2023/2024 GeneralFund RevenueBudget gross expenditureis coveredby forecastincome sources(assuming nochange in Governmentgrant) and,therefore, anyaddition(s) toexpenditure that are made by the Cabinetor Council will need to be met from the General Fund Balance.

d)    Approved the Council Tax Requirement for 2023/2024 at £11,130,440.

e)    Approvedan increasein theDistrict elementof theCouncil Taxof £5per annum, givingan averageBand DCouncil Taxof £165.31,plus the relevantamounts requiredby theprecepts ofthe ParishCouncils, Cambridgeshire CountyCouncil, CambridgeshirePolice &Crime Commissioner, andthe Cambridgeshire Fire Authority.

f)     Approvedthe estimatesof theamounts requiredto bemade underthe Non-domesticRating (RatesRetention) Regulations2013 asset outin paragraphs 44 and 45.

g)    Approved theuse ofthe additionalincome fromthe BusinessRate Pool, estimatedat £1,100,000in 2023/2024,for transferto theestablished Renewables Reserve for priorityprojects.

h)    Recommended to Council:

a.    The 2023/2024General FundRevenue Budgetbased onknown commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resultingin a Budget Requirement of £25.720 million.

b.    The DistrictCouncil Precepton theCollection Fund(Council Tax Requirement)of £11.130million in2023/2024 (basedon the Provisional Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £165.31.